WhileMonster Hunter Riseis not the first title in the series to release on Nintendo Switch, it arguably did more to popularize the nearly 20-year-oldMonster Hunterfranchise thanGenerations Ultimate.Monster Hunter World, originally released for PS4 and Xbox One, saw Capcom move away from the restrictive zones of classic entries by designing more open-ended hunting grounds, andRisefollowed up with movement options like Wirebugsand canine Palamute companions.
Fitting this take on Nintendo’s hybrid console using Capcom’s RE Engine proved to be a huge success, asMonster Hunter Risewas Japan’s most-downloaded Switch game of 2021. It’s yokai-inspired monsters also caught the attention of many in the West, thoughRise’s upcoming Sunbreak expansion may do more for audiences outside Japan thanks to its “Three Lords” being based on stories popularized by classic Universal films: vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster. Capcom should further build hype by releasing a second demo highlighting its new content.
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How Monster Hunter Rise’s Demo Followed a Long Tradition
Monster Hunterhas long been notorious for having so many in-depth, interlocking mechanics that it can be difficult for newcomers to parse. Recent entries likeRisehave made a concerted effort to be more welcoming, but ultimately many people just need to dive in and experience combat with one of the series' 14 main weapons.Capcomunderstands this, and has been a proponent of releasing demos to give curious observers an opportunity to test the waters.
EarlyMonster Huntergames had demo discs, butMonster Hunter 3 Ultimatebroke into modern territory with a downloadable demo on the Wii U eShop in 2013. This would be followed by demos forMonster Hunter 4 Ultimateon 3DS in 2015,Monster Hunter Generationson 3DS in 2016, andMonster Hunter Generations Ultimateon Switchin 2018.Monster Hunter Worldalso had a limited-time trial version on PS4.
Other thanWorld’s trial version, these demos follow a similar formula of giving players a pre-established set for the weapon of their choosing, and then sending them out to hunt a select few monsters.Monster Hunter Risereceived a demo on Switch in January 2021, including two training missions and battles against Great Izuchi and Mizutsune. A battle withRise’s Flagship Monster Magnamalowas added to the demo on June 19, 2025 - about two weeks before launch. The full demo with Magnamalo released for Steam that October, gearing up forRise’s PC port in January 2022.
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The Potential for New Demo Content Advertising Sunbreak
GivenMonster Hunter Risehas its demo on both PC and Switch, not limited by time like theWorldtrial version, one might wonder whether it’s necessary to release anything else related to Sunbreak. Perhaps not; anyone invested in the base game is already likely to purchase its expansion, and newcomers may not be swayed to get into Sunbreak if they haven’t touched any other content. Yet it would still make sense to drop new demo content for Sunbreak as a marketing ploy, if nothing else.
AfterMonster Hunter World, Capcom developed a “massive expansion” called Icebornethat was akin to Sunbreak. There was no demo in the same vein asGenerations, but a few beta tests happened on both PS4 and Xbox One that gave players the opportunity to battle multiple monsters - including Iceborne’s new Elder Dragon Velkhana. Since theMonster Hunter Risedemo features a battle against Magnamalo, it’s easy to imagine Capcom putting out a demo fight against the new vampire-themed Elder Dragon Malzeno.
Whether this new wave of demo content for Rise appears as its own downloadable entity or as an expansion to the original demo, it would undoubtedly build hype for Sunbreak’s summer release. However, one could also say Capcom should keep its cards close to the chest, leaving the surprise of how new monsters act for the full release. In that case, it might be better for an expanded demo to includereturningMonster Huntercreatures like Astalos, fitting the original demo’s inclusion of Mizutsune.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now for PC and Switch. Its Sunbreak expansion launches on July 23, 2025.
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